portfolio

Catelin’s Fall Wedding at the Salt Lake Temple

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

Last November, I photographed Catelin’s wedding in the beautiful fall colors. While updating my main website, I posted it to display the entire album.

It was a freezing, cold day, yet the images look warm and inviting. Here are some of the double-page spreads from the book. Each graphic folds down the middle in the actual album.

I loved the drama in the sky and the love these two had for each other. It was a wonderful day and a wonderful album.

This couple is really stunning together, and I love the various poses and use of color throughout the book.

As the night drew on, the sunset was surreal and magical.

The great thing about seeing an entire wedding album, is that you get to see how I work all day long. You get to see how great the couple looks and how spectacular the lighting is all throughout the day and into the night. You get to see that I don’t work by hoping to get lucky images, but rather I work to create well-crafted pieces of art created in all lighting environments – through daylight, twilight, nighttime, inside and out.

To see the entire album, visit my main site, BryCox.com. Then go to Portfolio > Wedding > Wedding Albums. Catelin’s album should be the first one to show right now, the “Salt Lake Temple and JSMB in the Fall.”

Now is a great time to get fall portraits. I still have a bit more time with leaves on the ground here at the studio garden location. Give me a call at 801-728-3317.

Until next time, America.

Singer/Songwriter/Actress Katherine Nelson’s Outdoor Shoot

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

I’m so excited about these images and can’t wait for you all to see them! This is an outdoor commercial shoot that I did for Katherine Nelson. You may recognize Katherine as the actress that played Emma in the LDS Church film, “Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration.” That movie plays daily at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, and she was also in the movie “Emma Smith: My Story.”

Katherine is also an accomplished singer/songwriter, winning all sorts of awards for both her solo work as well the work she’s done with various groups like the Nashville Tribute Band and Kenneth Cope.

For this project, she had a specific need and concept, so I chose one of my secret locations that matched what she wanted to create.

I set up all sorts of lighting equipment imaginable to take control of the scene. Lighting this scene was difficult, but it needed to be specific and controlled in order to create images that pop, while still being real and natural. The results are phenomenal! I was especially excited that a storm had gone through earlier, giving us great storm clouds to work with. I love a sky with drama!

Katherine is a fantastic model and a joy to be around. I find her easy to photograph, easy to direct, and she really had great expression. She even did her own styling and created her own clothing, accoutrements and flag for the shoot. It all worked together so well. I flipped out when I initially  saw her and the details of her outfit. It was all so perfect. I especially love her red skirt against the green grass.

We really had a fun time at this shoot. Looking back over it, two of our initial favorites were the image above and below. I love the sun shining through the clouds in the photograph above, and in the image below, the flag blowing against the awesome storm clouds with a little bit of blue peaking through, really makes this sing!

And this next portrait below is one of my all-time favorites from the entire shoot. I love the stance, the directional lighting on Katherine, and the color harmony with the dominant blue sky. The clouds have wispy pink highlights painted by the sun that has now set. This image is at twilight, and has such depth! I actually put this up on my website’s main splash page today, cropped square.

We were having so much fun that even after the sun set completely, I continued to shoot and create in the dark, using all artificial light. However I did it in such a way that it looks like real sunlight. The scene in these next images was actually dark to the eye at the time, but with the right techniques the scene glows and feels like sunset.

Then to end the shoot, I finished up with some close-ups, again with all artificial light because the sun had set at this point. The idea was to create a fake sunset but with the control of darkness, and these images are some of my favorites! (That’s one of my lights as a fake sun in the image below because it’s actually dark outside.)

You really need to see the entire shoot, but there’s not room enough on the blog, so I created a slideshow set to music. Start it up and enjoy.

It seems funny, but anytime I post a shoot like this, I get a lot of emails and phone calls asking where my images were taken. When I suggest that they hire me and I’ll photograph them there, some will admit that they just want to go to the same spot with a cheaper photographer – as if my locations are what yield great results. This is of course untrue.

Being in a great location with the right gear and a beautiful model certainly doesn’t hurt, but the real key to creating great photographs (whether it be outdoors, in sunlight, at twilight, sunset, or even after the sun has gone down) is specific control of lighting. And lighting people specifically and artistically is my unique skill.

I sometimes point to my list of awards and credentials, not to brag, but to show that when you hire ME, you’ll get something completely unique and personal, you’ll get phenomenal photography.

No matter who you are, I will make you look great, real, and natural, and generations from now people will still love your portraits and appreciate your purchase.

Now is a great time to set up your Spring appointment. I’m sure it’s time for a new family portrait, and high school seniors are getting ready to graduate. Give me a call at 801-728-3317 to schedule a time. And feel free to browse my main website at BryCox.com.

Joanna’s Portraits

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

I did some great portraits of Joanna. She is so fun to photograph. Take at look at some of the images from her shoot.

I really like this first image, the eyes, the expression, and the diagonal line of her hair. It all works so well. And the three images below work great as a series. Every image is captivating, beautiful and real.

And here’s one in color using one of my new custom edges that I’ve been working on.  All of these were created in the studio, with specific fashion lighting specific for her. That, combined with her expression and the images really glow!

If you’re in need of some really great portraits, either for portfolio work or just for fun, give me a call. 801-728-3317. And check out my main website too if you’re new to my work, BryCox.com.

Beautiful Rachel

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

I loved meeting and photographing Rachel.  She was a blast!

We may have had a short shoot, but the images were fun to create and she looked so great!  This first image utilizes my own custom made edges and overlays.  That is the only image with any enhancements, by the way.  The rest of these are still un-retouched, but I like them as straight images.  They have such a sense of reality to them without any retouching or effects.

I loved Rachel’s genuine smile, the gorgeous shape of her eyes, and her long dark hair.  She was such a great model!  I feel like you get a sense of who she is from these images.

I used this deep, rich brown background to set off her blue outfit and added just a touch of rim light on her hair for dimension.  I am so pleased with these photographs.  They have POP!

And for this final image I added some heavier edge lights to set off her hair and collarbones.  There is a lot of dimension in this and her smile and sparkle in her eyes is so genuine and real.  I really hope that she loves these images.  It was great getting to know her.

When it comes to portraits, everyone needs to be lit in a custom way for them.  I’m one of the only Master photographers in the state and I know just how to light YOU and make YOU look amazing!  So whether you’d like some images for your fashion or model portfolio or would love some kick-butt senior portraits, then give me a call.  I have some specials running during November that you will love! 801-728-3317.

My shoots are so much fun and I know just how to make you look great, beautiful, feminine, and sexy — without being risqué or cheesy.  And overall, you will LOVE your images!

Give me a call to schedule your appointment.  801-728-3317.  And feel free to browse my main website, BryCox.com and my blog at BryCox.com/blog.

Bethany, Night Portraits in Atlanta!

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

I had a blast photographing Bethany in the city of Atlanta at night.  She was a beautiful and fun model who even had a few call backs with the TV show, America’s Next Top Model.  But besides having a fun and beautiful model, creating high-caliber images in this type of environment is very difficult on many levels.

However, it’s that higher level of difficulty that makes the entire shoot extra fun for me because I feel a surge of creativity when things are technically difficult.  That’s because I value photographs even more when I know that other photographers wouldn’t be able to create them standing in the same setting.  Therefore creating superb images in difficult situations makes the images all the more valuable to me.

On this image above, I love the play of warm and cool tones (warm in the foreground and cool in the background), creating a lot of depth and impact!

Shooting in a city is fun at any time of day because I have to create backgrounds from the environment, and make them balance and play with the subject correctly.  Everything in an image has to work for the portrait or else it works against it.  Most photographers don’t take into account how lines, shapes, and colors in a background affect the foreground subject.  But I am a stickler about the details and won’t take a shot unless everything looks great — including how the background interacts with the foreground.  I will continue to change my setup until things work.

But then when you add night to the mix of shooting in a city, you add another layer of difficulty — LIGHTING!  Lighting isn’t used to create an exposure, but rather to specifically sculpt a subject.  Therefore it must be used specifically!  It must come from a very specific angle depending on the model, despite any surroundings.  And at the same time light has to balance with the background in both intensity as well as color temperature to avoid creating images that are too dark, flat, or dull looking.  An image, even when created at night, should instead seem 3-dimentional and have pop!

So with that in mind, Bethany and I had a great time just creating images on this city block.  Her style was cute and fun, and we got a lot of variety.

I love this smiling close-up above, and this serious expression in the image below.  Both created in the same spot.  The vertical lines in the background above play off her angle and her soft hair, while the curve of the sidewalk in the image below leads your eye back to her and adds balance to the left side.

I really like the shadow of a the figure off camera in this next image below.  It helps create a mysterious mood.  It was created by some stranger walking by, and I liked it and waited to take the shot once the shadow moved into the open space of the image where it wouldn’t visually touch and compete with the rail in the foreground.

I used the effect of light color temperature to create different moods and looks throughout the shoot.  I love the color, the angle, and her expression and stance on this image below.  The hair softly blowing at an angle really makes this image work!

I ended the shoot with a light up close, sharp, and at a hard angle to create deep shadows.  The mix of vertical and horizontal lines of the background, and light and dark areas are all broken up by her pose — making it all work together beautifully!

It was really fun meeting Bethany and creating these images.  We had a great time and I hope that she does well in her career.

If you’d like to built your modeling portfolio or just get some wonderful fashion portraits, or perhaps if you’re a high school senior and want a fashion style session for your senior portraits, then give me a call!  NO ONE creates images like me!  My shoots are so much fun and I know just how to make you look great, beautiful, feminine, and sexy — without being risqué or cheesy.  And overall, you will LOVE your images!

Give me a call to schedule your appointment.  801-728-3317.  And feel free to browse my main website, BryCox.com and my blog at BryCox.com/blog.

 

Donation of $4000 to Davis Education Auction

Posted by BryCox (Admin)

Davis County Education asked if I would donate a portrait package to their yearly auction that raises money for schools in the Davis County area.  I donated a few packages as well as gift certificates totaling $4000.00 in all!

I stopped by that night to set up my samples, and this is how the room looked!  It was a beautiful event.

I set up my samples and hung out to answer questions with people.

They had even printed a large banner for one of my tables.  This was the largest package I offered.it was a full event and they sold not only my packages, but a lot of other things as well and raised some good money for their cause.

I’m grateful that they called me and asked me to participate.  It’s a great feeling to be able to help groups and organizations that better our society.

I’ve donated to more auctions this year, then I ever have and would love to do more.  If you’re in charge of an auction, give me a call and talk to me about your group, what you do.  I’d love to talk about possibly helping with some donations.

And if you’re a client looking for some great new photographs of your child, family, or anything else, give me a call at 801-728-3317.  Aside from studio work, the outdoor gardens right now are beautiful and it’s time to get your shoot scheduled, as the summer is already getting booked up.

Thanks for looking and please browse my main website at BryCox.com (or more from my blog if you’re reading this in a separate feed reader BryCox.com/blog).